Red Velvet Cupcakes...To Die For

These Classic Red Velvet Cupcakes are very moist and fluffy, with a light and soft crumb that almost melts in your mouth. They have the buttermilk-with-a-hint-of-cocoa flavor that you want to find in a red velvet cake, and are a very bright shade of red. The cream cheese frosting is rich and sweet, with a hint of tang from the cheese, and it really compliments the flavor of the cupcake well. These cupcakes keep well when stored in an airtight container for a few days, but they rarely last more than one or two days if you have a couple of volunteers around to help you eat them.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 tsp red food coloring (or smaller amount gel food coloring)
1 cup buttermilk

 

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and sandy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract. Sift in the cocoa powder, add in red food coloring and stir everything until well combined.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually incorporate one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining buttermilk and the last of the flour. Mix just until no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

 

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
8-oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar

In a large bowl, beat all ingredients except the confectioners’ sugar. Gradually blend in the sugar until the icing is smooth and creamy. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.